Press Releases

North Carolina Department of Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders today led a celebration of the new NCWorks Mobile Career Center, on the completion of its first year of service. The mobile unit can bring accessible workforce development services to North Carolina jobseekers and employers anywhere in the state.

The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) has approved eight grant requests to local governments totaling $1,465,000, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The requests include commitments to create a total of 270 jobs, 150 of which were previously announced. The public investment in these projects will attract more than $365.6 million in private investment.

Seven North Carolina companies today were recognized at the 2023 Governor’s Export Awards for their growing sales success in international markets. These companies range from tactical components to bicycle wheel manufacturing and textile machinery.

Today, Governor Roy Cooper hosted a veterans roundtable discussion focused on supporting North Carolina’s veterans during the transition to civilian life and beyond. The Governor was joined at the NCWorks Career Center in Jacksonville by North Carolina Chief Deputy Secretary of Commerce Jordan Whichard and North Carolina Department of Military & Veterans Affairs Director of Transition Services Andrea Allard along with several veterans for the discussion.

Siemens Energy, Inc., one of the world’s leading energy technology companies and a long-standing North Carolina employer will expand its operations in the state, creating a total of 559 jobs, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The project brings an investment of $149.8 million and will establish in Mecklenburg County the company’s first manufacturing site in the United States to build Large Power Transformers (LPTs), a critical component of the nation’s power grid. The expansion also adds positions to the company’s engineering operations in Wake County.

The North Carolina Taskforce for Offshore Wind Economic Resource Strategies (

Aviation management company, Sovereign Aerospace, will invest $4.15 million to manufacture, sell, and service personal aircraft in Elizabethtown, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. This first U.S. manufacturing plant will bring 33 new jobs to Bladen County.“North Carolina continues to garner national attention as a leading state for aerospace manufacturing,” said Governor Cooper. “With dynamic veteran-owned companies like Sovereign Aerospace expanding in Bladen County, our state has great potential to be a leader in aviation worldwide.”

Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 95 of North Carolina’s counties in December 2023, increased in three, and remained unchanged in two. Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 5.9 percent while Buncombe County had the lowest at 2.4 percent. All 15 of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount had the highest rate at 4.5 percent while Asheville had the lowest at 2.5 percent. The not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 3.2 percent.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce has awarded business services grants to 14 local workforce development boards, totaling $490,000, Governor Roy Cooper announced today.Workforce boards will use the grants to convene local and regional partners and employers, and to plan and develop strategies and initiatives for evidence-based, in-demand industry sector partnerships to meet the needs of businesses in subsectors of Advanced Manufacturing, including those focused on clean energy.

HEYCO-Werk USA Inc., a plastics injection molder for the automotive industry, will create 34 new jobs in Gaston County, Governor Cooper announced today. The company will invest more than $12.75 million to build a new state-of-the-art manufacturing site in Gaston County.